Aurora’s Paramount Theatre will offer its first-ever sensory-friendly performance, with a specially modulated, or “relaxed,” performance of Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical on Wednesday, January 15 at 7 p.m.
Sensory-friendly performances help create an enjoyable live arts experience for patrons who have autism or other social, cognitive and physical challenges that create sensory sensitivities for them. A pre-show welcome, modifications to lights and sound effects, a quiet space in the lobby for breaks, and sensory kits on request will be offered on January 15 to “relax” events on stage and in the theater so more sensitive patrons can fully enjoy the show with their families and caregivers. Comfort objects are welcome and audience motion is not discouraged.
To help prepare individuals on the autism spectrum, children with sensory needs or those with other support needs to better understand the world they are about to enter, Paramount has created a step-by-step guide to attending a show at the theater called a “Social Story,” available as a free download at paramountaurora.com/visit/#accessibility.
Following are select pages from Paramount Theatre’s Social Story, a free guide that helps patrons who have autism or other sensitivities gain an advance mental picture of what their experience at Paramount will be like:
“Providing a Social Story in advance can be key to ensuring a positive experience, especially if they are going to a place that is unknown to them,” said Hollis Sienkiewicz, Senior Marketing Director, Paramount Theatre. “A Social Story can also be helpful for anyone anticipating their first theatrical experience, including parents, caretakers and teachers who want to share it with a child or group of children to help them get an advance mental picture of what their experience at Paramount Theatre will be like.”
In sum, sensory-friendly performances foster a communal spirit of inclusion and empathy among the audience, resulting in a more inviting, positive experience for those with sensitivities, their families and caregivers.
To secure discounted tickets to the sensory-friendly performance of Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical, visit paramountaurora.com and use code SENSORY for 30 percent off at check-out, or contact the Paramount Theatre Box Office at (630) 896.6666.
Additional Access Services in January
ASL interpreters (from left) Sheila Kettering and Al Raci warm up while cast members rehearse before Paramount Theatre’s sign language interpreted performance of Newsies. Photo credit: Thomas J. King.
Paramount also will offer its usual line-up of Access Performances of Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical for patrons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have vision loss. Here’s the schedule:
Pre-show Touch Tour and Audio Description for patrons who are blind or have low vision
Saturday, January 4 at 2 p.m.
Audio Description is a live voice-over service provided via headset for people who are blind or have low vision, allowing them to sit anywhere in the audience and enjoy the performance. Commentary and narration are provided in real time to assist the listener in understanding the visual elements happening on stage, from descriptions of facial expressions to explanations about props, costumes, lighting, scenery and more. Due to a limited number of Audio Description headsets, please inform the box office when purchasing tickets if you require a headset for the performance.
Patrons who would like to take advantage of Audio Description are also encouraged to take part in a Pre-show Touch Tour starting at 1 p.m. Participants are given the chance to touch and feel select props and costumes used in the show, to provide tactile context when they experience the production.
Note: Paramount always offers assistive listening devices and noise canceling headphones free of charge at all performances. Check in at the coat room before the show to borrow these items.
Open Captioning for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing
Wednesday, January 8 at 1:30 p.m.
The open captioning setup includes a LED screen close to the stage, where text from the script and lyrics from musical numbers can be read on the screen in sync with the show.
American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing
Friday, January 10 at 7 p.m.
Patrons are seated in close proximity to two certified ASL sign language interpreters who translate all dialogue and lyrics into American Sign Language in real time.
About Paramount’s Midwest Regional Premiere of Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical
(left, from left) Emily Kristen Morris plays Elsa and Beth Stafford Laird is Anna in Paramount Theatre's Midwest Regional Premiere of Disney's Frozen the Broadway Musical. (right) Emily Kristen Morris plays Elsa in Disney's Frozen the Broadway Musical at Aurora's Paramount Theatre. Credit: Liz Lauren
Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical is receiving its Midwest Regional Premiere through January 19 at Paramount Theatre, where the beloved Disney animated film is filling the theater with winter magic and happy families. Spectacular set designs and dazzling special effects are transporting audiences to wintry landscapes populated by Disney’s now iconic sisters, Elsa and Anna, along with fantastical characters like Olaf the snowman and Sven the reindeer. The stage adaptation, nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical includes the iconic and award-winning song “Let It Go,” and beloved hits like “For the First Time in Forever,” “Love Is an Open Door” and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”
The Chicago Tribune called Paramount’s live production "Simply spectacular...a level of spectacle I'm not sure I've ever seen from a production created entirely by a Chicago-area theater." Splash Chicago Magazine called it "a glittering triumph” and Chicago Concert Reviews wrote “Remarkable...an extremely affordable alternative to trucking downtown."
Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical runs through January 19 at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in Aurora. Show times through Sunday, December 22 are Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursday at 7 p.m.; Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. No shows Wednesday, December 25 (Christmas Day).
After the Christmas holiday, to accommodate earlier bedtimes for younger audiences, the performance schedule shifts with several start times that are earlier than usual. Showtimes December 26-January 19 are Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Additionally, there are two special “school’s out” holiday week matinees: Friday, December 27 at 2 p.m. and Thursday, January 2 at 1:30 p.m.
Single tickets are $38-$95. For tickets and information, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. For group discounts, contact Melissa Striedl, melissas@paramountarts.com or (630) 723-2461.
For the latest updates, follow @paramountaurora on Facebook and Instagram, and Paramount Theatre on LinkedIn.
About Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., is the center for performing arts in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. The beautiful, 1,843-seat theater, graced with a strong 1930s Art Deco influence and original Venetian décor, nationally known for its high-quality productions, superb acoustics and historic grandeur, has been downtown Aurora’s anchor attraction since 1931.
Since launching its own Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount has amassed more than 37,000 subscribers, making it the largest subscription house in the U.S.
For over 50 years, the Joseph Jefferson Awards has recognized excellence in Chicago area theater. Paramount has been honored to earn 124 Jeff nominations and 31 wins over the last eight years of eligibility, including six Jeff Awards in 2022 for Kinky Boots, including Best Musical-Large, Paramount’s fourth win in that category following Sweeney Todd (2017), West Side Story (2016) and Les Misérables (2015).
Paramount Theatre is one of five live performance venues overseen by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA). ACCA also programs and manages the 165-seat Copley Theatre, home to Paramount’s BOLD Series, at 8 E. Galena in the North Island Center; Stolp Island Theatre, now open at 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, with a critically acclaimed experiential production of Million Dollar Quartet; RiverEdge Park, downtown Aurora’s outdoor summer concert venue at 360 N. Broadway; and the Paramount School of the Arts, all located in downtown Aurora.
Paramount Theatre continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Tim Rater, President and CEO, Aurora Civic Center Authority; Jim Corti, Artistic Director, Paramount Theatre; a dedicated Board of Trustees and a devoted staff of live theater and music professionals.
For the latest updates, visit ParamountAurora.com or follow @paramountaurora on Facebook and Instagram, and Paramount Theatre on LinkedIn.